In this Photoshop tutorial, I’m walking you through how I created a Mario-themed birthday poster for my son’s seventh birthday. We’ll dive into doing a character face swap, playing with vibrant background elements, and adding those finishing touches to bring your design to life.
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Step 1: Set Up Your Photoshop Canvas
To start, open Photoshop and create a new canvas. For a poster that’s ready to print, size matters! I set mine to 24×18 inches at 300 DPI. This ensures your final design is crisp and high-quality. You can adjust your file size by going to Image > Image Size.
Next, fill the background with bold, fun colors. I chose a bright yellow base and added a royal blue rectangle using the Rectangular Marquee Tool. This simple step sets the stage for a dynamic, Mario-inspired design.
Step 2: Bring in Your Photos
Drag your subject’s photo (in my case, my son Owen) into Photoshop. Use Select > Subject to cut Owen out from the background, and refine the selection with the Polygonal Lasso Tool. Create a layer mask to cut out the background.
For the Mario character, I imported an image and used the same lasso tool to carefully cut out his face.
Step 3: Perfect the Face Swap
Position your subject’s face behind Mario’s body. Adjust the size with Command + T (Free Transform) to fit the proportions. For a seamless blend, lower the Mario layer’s opacity to align features like the chin and hat. Then, use a soft brush on the layer mask to refine the edges and make the swap look natural.
Step 4: Add Text and Design Elements
Use the Text Tool to add your child’s name and age. I went with Gotham Condensed Black for a bold, modern look. Don’t forget to experiment with text size and colors to make the words pop.
Sprinkle in some fun extras like background texture confetti and iconic Mario elements (think stars and mushrooms). Play with blending modes and opacity to integrate these elements seamlessly into the design.
Step 5: Save and Print Your Poster
Once your design is complete, save your Photoshop file (.PSD) to preserve your layers. Then, go to File > Save a Copy, choose JPEG, and set the quality to maximum. This file format is perfect for sending to a print shop (just be mindful of copyright restrictions if using recognizable characters!).
